Outstanding examination results, academic awards and a celebration of school spirit took centre stage as St Patrick’s Grammar School in Armagh held its senior prizegiving.
Students, parents, guests and staff gathered to mark the latest external examination results, with Principal Declan Murray opening the proceedings. He congratulated the school’s recent past pupils and paid tribute to students who had worked hard and reached their potential during their seven years at St Patrick’s.
The school said the percentage of pupils achieving three A*–C grades at A Level and seven A*–C grades at GCSE, including English and Maths, had both risen by 25% this year.
Top GCSE and A Level achievements
Jake McGurk was named the school’s top GCSE student after achieving eight A* grades and two A grades. His form teacher described him as modest and unassuming, with a welcoming manner and a strong example for younger pupils.
The Brendan Vallely Memorial Cup for the school’s two top students went to Cormac McCreesh and Eoin Campbell. Both achieved A*A*A grades at A Level. Cormac is set to study Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, while Eoin was also recognised among the school’s leading A Level achievers.
Four students — Eoin Bell, Ryan Dynes, Noel George and Oisin Gribben — shared the Drohan Award after achieving one A* and two A grades in their final examinations. Adone Gijo, Cion Mooney and Tiernan Donnelly received Stephen Farnham Ceramic plaques after achieving nine A grades between them.
Fergal Conlon, the top AS student, achieved three A grades in Software Systems Development, Physics and Maths. He also spoke about his affection for the school and recalled taking part in drama as a first-year pupil on the same stage where he addressed the audience as a guest speaker.
Guest speaker returns to his former school
The guest speaker was past pupil Daragh Carville, the poet, playwright and screenwriter who first attracted literary attention at St Patrick’s by winning a Patrick Kavanagh poetry competition.
After completing his A Levels, Mr Carville studied drama and film at university in England and went on to build a career across stage and screen. He has written scripts for actors including James Nesbitt and Michael Fassbender and is now best known as lead writer and executive producer of ITV drama The Bay, which is filming its sixth series and attracts more than seven million viewers.
“I have lived in important places.”
Quoting Kavanagh’s poem Epic, Mr Carville told the audience that St Patrick’s had “shaped me personally into the writer I have become” and remained an “important place” for him and many others.
Plaques were presented to students selected by staff as the top achievers in individual GCSE and A Level subjects. The evening also recognised the pride of pupils, families and staff in the students’ academic progress.
Honours for service, resilience and school life
The Ciarán Donnelly Memorial Cup, awarded to pupils who embody the spirit of the St Patrick’s community, went to Illia Baklykov and Nikita Kulaga. Head of Senior School Lisa McMahon said both students had made a significant contribution after arriving in Armagh from Ukraine.
Both continued their Ukrainian studies online while completing their A Levels. Nikita has completed his Ukrainian degree and plans to continue at master’s level at Queen’s University, while Illia is moving on to study Architecture there.
The Henry Murray and Company Cup for services to local voluntary work was awarded to outgoing Head Boy Noel George. Ms McMahon praised his energy, generosity and positive example, saying he had encouraged other students to give their time and talents to helping others.
The prizegiving also celebrated wider achievements. Martin Quinn was named Under-16 Basketballer of the Year and received the top GCSE Construction and Technology awards. Caomh Agnew was named St Patrick’s Sportsman of the Year and also achieved top results in History, PE and Travel and Tourism.
Daire Litter received the Senior Cantor of the Year Award and is beginning a Higher Level Apprenticeship in Software Engineering. The evening ended with an address from Peter Gildea on behalf of the Governors, who reminded the leavers of 2026 that the school’s doors would always remain open to them.
The celebration marked the academic, cultural and sporting achievements of St Patrick’s Grammar School’s senior students during 2025/26, while recognising the lasting contribution made by the departing pupils to the Armagh school community.